"Xin Xin, be good. I ate my fill at home before coming out, and I'm too full to eat anymore. You can keep it for yourself." Fang Ke smiled and patted Xin Xin's head, wanting to give the apple back to her.

But Xin Xin suddenly took a step back, dodging her hand, staring at her stubbornly, and then gestured with her hand a couple more times.

Qiao Qiqi translated from the side, "Xin Xin means you should take it back to eat, she still has some."

Before Fang Ke could say anything more, Qiao Qiqi smiled and said, "Xin Xin gave it to you, so just take it. She likes you a lot, and she's never given an apple to anyone else before."

In those days, fruit was a rare commodity, and rural families seldom had the chance to eat it.

Fang Ke knew this, which was why she was embarrassed to accept it, but seeing that Qiao Qiqi had said so, she had no choice but to bite the bullet and accept it.

"Okay, then I'll take it. Thank you, Xiaoxinxin."

When Xin Xin saw her put the apple into the cloth bag she had brought, her lips instantly curled up and her eyes crinkled into crescents as she smiled.

Looking at such a sensible child, Fang Ke felt a pang of pain in her heart when she thought about how the child couldn't speak. She couldn't help but ask, "Haven't you taken Xin Xin to a big city for a checkup?"

Qiao Qiqi shook her head, "It's very troublesome for us to go out from here. We need to get referral letters from all levels, so we've only been to the town hospital. But I plan to take Xinxin to the county hospital when I have time. If that doesn't work, we'll try to see if we can go to Heilong City for treatment."

Fang Ke suddenly thought of something, "I heard my mother say that there is an old Chinese medicine doctor in Beijing who is very skilled. It would be great if we could take Xin Xin to Beijing to see him."

Qiao Qiqi smiled helplessly, "Beijing is definitely a good city, but it's too difficult for us to seek medical treatment there."

Fang Ke subconsciously thought of the cost, assuming that Qiao Qiqi was worried about the travel and medical expenses. She frowned and didn't say anything more.

Seeing that it was getting late, Fang Ke stood up and said, "I'll head back now so as not to disturb your sleep."

“It’s getting dark. It’s not safe for a girl like you to walk alone at night. Here, take this flashlight.” Qiao Qiqi took out the only household appliance in the house from the drawer.

Fang Ke declined, saying, "There's no need for that. The moon is quite bright outside; you can see the road clearly."

"What's the trouble? You can take it back and use it. I'll bring it back when I go to cook tomorrow." Qiao Qiqi shoved the flashlight into her hand without allowing her to refuse.

Seeing her good intentions, he stopped refusing.

"Alright, then I'll take it back. I'll give it to Aunt Su when I get back. If I'm not back by noon tomorrow, you can ask her for it."

"Okay, I understand."

Qiao Qiqi escorted Fang Ke all the way to the gate of the courtyard.

Before leaving, Fang Ke glanced at Xin Xin beside her, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back. Finally, she mustered up her courage and said, "If you encounter any problems in the future and need my help, just let me know. I will definitely help if I can."

Qiao Qiqi sensed the kindness in her eyes and smiled slightly. "Okay, I'll remember that."

Fang Ke hesitated for a moment, then bent down and pinched Xin Xin's little face again, "Sister is leaving now, I'll come to see you again when I have time."

Xin Xin couldn't hear, but she could sense Fang Ke's kindness, so she waved to her.

Seeing this, Fang Ke felt even worse. Suppressing her tears, she immediately turned and left.

Qiao Qiqi watched her retreating figure, seemingly lost in thought.

When Qin Huai returned from outside, he saw her standing at the gate of the courtyard in a daze, while Chenchen and Xinxin stood beside her, looking up at her with curiosity.

Qin Huai walked over with a puzzled look in his eyes, and the sound of his footsteps startled Qiao Qiqi.

She finally came to her senses, looked at the man's face, and suddenly said, "I want to take Xin Xin to the county hospital for treatment tomorrow."

Qin Huai was taken aback for a moment, realizing that her idea had come to her suddenly, but he didn't stop her. "Okay, do you need me to come with you?"

Qiao Qiqi had considered that if she shared this idea, Qin Huai would consider the money, try to stop her, or put her in a difficult position...

Of course, I expected him to agree, but I didn't expect him to be so quick to agree.

At that moment, Qiao Qiqi suddenly felt a surge of happiness.

It's a feeling of being completely trusted and recognized.

She suddenly had an urge to throw herself into the man's arms and hug him tightly.

So Qiao Qiqi immediately lowered her head and let Chenchen take Xinxin into the house first.

After the two entered the house, she immediately and without hesitation threw herself into Qin Huai's arms, pressing her forehead against his chest and gently rubbing it twice.

"Qin Huai, how can you be so kind!"

Qin Huai was startled by her sudden confession. His body stiffened for a moment before he carefully placed his hand on her lower back. "Why are you suddenly saying this?"

"Of course I love you!" Qiao Qiqi blurted out subconsciously.

Qin Huai's body stiffened again.

like--

Since their marriage, Qin Huai had heard Qiao Qiqi say many sweet words, but he had never heard her use this word before, which made him feel a little complicated.

Do you love me?

He suddenly wondered: Did he love her just as much?

Qin Huai was somewhat uncertain.

All he knew was that he had never liked any woman, except for Wang Guihua.

But he wanted to go along with her, to give her all his best. He supported and cooperated with whatever she wanted to do, unable to bear seeing her suffer, so he didn't mind suffering himself...

Is this love?

Qin Huai's situation is uncertain.

Seeing that he remained silent for a long time, Qiao Qiqi lifted her head from his embrace and looked up at the man's handsome face. "Why aren't you saying anything? I've already told you I love you, shouldn't you say: you love me more?"

Qin Huai lowered his eyes, looking into those large, watery eyes, his Adam's apple bobbing, "I..."

A hint of anticipation flashed in Qiao Qiqi's eyes.

Qin Huai frowned slightly. "I don't know."

The light in Qiao Qiqi's eyes quickly faded when she saw that the man had actually replied, "I don't know!"

She was so angry that her breathing became uneven. She immediately withdrew her hand from the man's arms and glared at him, saying with dissatisfaction, "Love is love, and not loving is not loving. What do you mean you don't know? Don't you even know whether you love him or not?"

Seeing that she was angry, Qin Huai felt a pang of anxiety in his eyes and instinctively tried to coax her.

But he's really bad with words; he never knows what to say when he wants to coax someone.

So his lips moved, but in the end he could only manage to utter three words: "I'm sorry."

Qiao Qiqi: "..."

Qiao Qiqi was absolutely furious!

Seeing how good she was to him, he didn't even know whether he loved her or not!

She gritted her teeth, suddenly stepped forward, cupped the man's face in her hands, stood on tiptoe, and brought her lips close to his.

It took a vicious bite!